The invention concerns a movable portion of an article of furniture, in particular a drawer, flap or door, with at least one preferably electrical drive unit and a triggering device for actuation of the drive unit. The triggering device is at least partially arranged at the movable portion of the article of furniture and has at least three different switching states.
Such portions of an article of furniture, in particular drawers, are generally already known. German patent specification DE 1 017 351 describes a device for pulling out or pushing in drawers in articles of furniture, which can be pulled out or in by a drive unit actuated by means of push buttons on the body of the article of furniture. Any possible positioning of the drawer between the fully pushed-in and the fully pulled-out position is possible, by means of the triggering device which is in the form of push buttons. Austrian patent specification AT 398 513 B describes a drawer guide fitment, the drive of which is actuated by a capacitive touch switch arranged at the front panel of the drawer. By touching the touch switch, the drawer moves in or out. European patent application EP 0 957 225 A1 discloses a device for opening a drawer provided with a drive unit, the drive unit being actuated by a triggering element in the form of a touch switch. The two last-mentioned publications each disclose a triggering element which has two switching states. Consequently, after a pulling-out operation has been effected and the triggering element has been actuated, only triggering of the opposite procedure is possible.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,858 shows a motor-driven wall cupboard, in which a rocker switch with three switch positions can be arranged at the movable portion of the article of furniture itself. Intuitive operation of that portion of the article of furniture however is not possible as the user has to specifically look for and use the small switching surface.